Information given about effective law for tobacco control
Raipur, 05 October 2023
A state level workshop was organized today by the Health and Family Welfare Department with the aim of effectively implementing tobacco control policies and programs in Chhattisgarh. In a one-day workshop organized in a private hotel in the capital Raipur, training was given to state level and district level nodal officers of Health Department, Excise Department, Police Department, Higher Education, School Education Department and other departments.
Under the joint aegis of State Tobacco Control Unit Chhattisgarh and Bloomberg Project Chhattisgarh, detailed discussions were held in the workshop to implement the policies and programs related to tobacco control in a more effective manner in future. In the workshop, officials related to tobacco control were given information about the provisions of COTPA Act 2003, COTPA Chhattisgarh (Amendment) Act 2021 and E-Cigarette Ban Act 2019 and instructions were given to take action as per the provisions of the Act.
State Nodal Officer of the National Tobacco Control Program, Dr. Kamlesh Jain said that to get rid of tobacco addiction, tobacco de-addiction centers are operated in all the district hospitals. A total of 39.10 percent population of the state uses tobacco. Due to this, cancer and other serious diseases are increasing. He further said that not only the person who smokes but also the non-smoker is at risk of serious diseases. Therefore, it is important for us to do better counseling in TCC Center (Tobacco De-addiction Centre), to continuously follow up the people coming there and to motivate their family members also to give up tobacco addiction. Called upon the participants present from different districts of the state to make people aware not to consume tobacco and motivate them to quit tobacco consumption, so that the number of people quitting tobacco consumption in the state can increase.
Dr. Amit Yadav, Senior Technical Advisor, The Union Organization, gave detailed information on the implementation of Bloomberg Initiative project in Chhattisgarh, action on violation of tobacco advertising and pictorial health warnings and the challenges faced in it. He informed that Tobacco Monitor App is being operated in the state through The Union and Pahal Foundation.
Mr. Upendra Kumar, Mr. Mukesh Kumar, Mr. Ashish Singh, Mrs. Khyati Jain and state and district level nodal officers of various departments were present in the workshop.
